Feeding mechanism for cake-coating machines



Dec.- 29, 1925- 1,567,917

w. COSTELLO, JR

FEEDING rmcrumxsm FOR CAKE couiue magmas F 'iled May 15, 1923 4 Sheets-Shet 1 Dec. 29, 1925 1,567,917

W. COSTELLO JR FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CAKE COATING MACHINES Filed May 15, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 29,1925. 1,567,917"

' W. COSTELLO, JR

FEEDING IECHANISM FOR CAKE COATING MACHINES Filed May 15, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 V w 1 S\/ ;Q

h w O Q & 8

Patented Dec. 29,- 1925.

PATENT OF'FEQE.

WILLIAM COSTELLO, JR., OFPHILADELPHIA", PENNSYLVANIA.

FEEDING: MECHANISM. FOR CAKE-COATING MACHINES- Application filedMay 15, 1923. Seria1.No..639,148.

To-all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatvI, VYILLIAM Gos'rnLLo, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvanimrhave invented a Feeding. Mechanism for. Cake-Coating Machines, of which the following is aspecificatiom Y My invention relates to: feed mechanism, and finds particular application to cake coating. and like machines andrto the mechanism forming the subject of: my co-pending ap' plication, Serial Number 622,567, filed March 3, 1923. v

The principal object of the present invention isto provide novel and improved means for feeding articles in succession to conveyor or other mechanism or to any predetermined point or points for subsequent operations upon said articles. I

A more specific object of the invention is to provide automatic means for placing cakes or other articles upon the feed IUQCllflIllSIIl described in my aforesaid co-pending application, whereby I- am enabled to operate the 7 feed mechanism and the coatingmachine as a whole at a materially higher rate of speed than previously was possible,

A further: specific object of the invention is to provide means for insurmg accurate positioning of the articles upon the feed mechanism.

A still further object of theinvention is to provide a magazine feed for the feed mechanism such that the cakes or other articles are passedtothe feed mechanism with accuracy and with no danger of being crushed'in the transfer operation from the magazine.

These and other objects appearing hereinafter are accomplishedby means of the mechanism ill'ustrated'in the attached drawings, in? which:

Figure 1, is aside elevation of a portion of the feed mechanisnr described in my r aforesaid pending application having attachedthereto. magazine apparatus made in accordance with the present invention; 1 Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section through the mechanism. illustrated. in Fig. 1.;

Fig; 3, isa sectionomthe line 33, Fig 2; Fig. 4;, isa; plan view of the magazine, and.

Fig. 5, is an inverted plan view of the magazine lVith reference to the drawings, my dew v1ce-v comprises, in the present instance, a bracket 1 consisting of two side plates 2, 2, respectively securedto opposite sides of the frame 3 of the feed mechanism described in my co-pending application, Serial Number 622,567, by means of bolts 4. The side plates 2 are connected at their bases by means of two parallel rods 5, 5, the threaded ends of which project through the plates and are held in place by means of nuts 6, 6L Journaled in the side plates intermediate and parallel to the tie rods 5, 5, is a shaft 7 sald shaft having at each end threaded portions8, andhaving secured to one extremity a hand wheel 9, by means of which the shaft may he turned. Mounted upon the shaft 7 and having engagement respectively with the threaded portions 8, 8, are a pair of riders 10, 10, which as the shaft is turned t are adapted tofeed along the shaft by reason of the aforesaid threaded engagement therewitlnthe travel of these block riders 10 being limited by the inner faces of the side plates 2, and in the opposite direction by collars 11, 11, secured to the shaft.

Projecting inwardly from the inner faces of each of the side plates 2are a pair 01 vertical parallel flanges 12, 12, constituting guides for a structure including a pair of side blocks 13, 13, which have portions fitting between the respective guides 12, 12. and which are joinedto'g'etheri by means of tie rods 14, 14:,- which tie rods constitute also a support for a series of upstanding parallel bars or plates 15, as best shown in Fig. 3. The blocks 13, 13, also, as best shown in Fig. 3, rest upon and are supported by the blocks 10, the blocks 10'and 13 having contacting beveled faces 16 which, in the present instance, are inclined to the horizontal at an angle of approximately 45. Springs 17 having their ends seated in suitable recesses 18 and- 19 in the side plates 2 and blocks 13' respectively tend continuously to holdthe latter against the supporting blocks, 10. a

It will be apparent that this arrangement provides anieasil y manipulated means for controlling and adjustingthe position of the blocks 13, 13, and the associated. plates 15, since by rotating the shaftt7, the blocks tremitiles or center of the shaft; as may be desired, depending upon the direction of rotation of the shaft, such movement by reason of the contacting beveled faces 16 of the blocks 10 and 11 forcing the latter blocks upwardly against the pressure of the springs 17, 17, or permitting the springs to move the blocks downwardly to a lower positron.

Extending across the tops of the s1de plates 2, 2, and occupying a position directly over the tops of the bars or plates 15, as best illust ated in Figs. 2 and 3, is a plate carrying vertically arranged tubes 21 which constitute magazines for the cakes or other articles which are to be passed to the feed mechanism. The plate 20 is secured to the tops of the side bars 2 by means of wing bolts 22, 22, this connection providing for removal of the plate and replacement by other plates having magazine tubes of larger or smaller diameter. As clearly illustrated, each of the tubes 21 is provided at one side with a longitudinal slot 23 extending from the top of the tube to the top of the plate 20, these slots being for a purpose which will be described hereinafter. As best illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, the plate 20 is provided on its under side with a plurality of bosses 24, in which the lower ends of the tubes 21 are secured.

Each of the side plates 2 has an extension 25 provided with a V-shaped recess for the reception of a correspondingly shaped trough 26 which is secured to the side plates by means, in the present instance, of screws 27. One of the side plates also carries an arm 28 whose outer end overlies the end of acorresponding arm 29 carried by one of the blocks 13, and each arm carries at its end an adjustable gage plate 30, the space between the opposing faces of which is made to indicate the space between the upper edges of the bars 15 and the lower edges of the bosses 24. One of the arms 2 also carries a springpressed locking pin 32 which has at the top a button or knob 33 by means of which it can be adjusted, said pin normally being held down by means of a spring 34 into one of a number of suitable recesses 35 in the hub of the hand wheel 9, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby the latter is normally prevented from turning.

The feed mechanism for use with which the above described apparatus is particularly adapted, is in all essential respects similar to that illustrated in my aforesaid co-pending application, Serial Number 622,567. The therein described mechanism comprises a series of horizontally spaced bars 41 so arranged as to be oscillatable in vertical planes; and suitable mechanism is provided for this purpose. In the present instance, the bars 41 are supported on a suitable frame 42 movable both vertically and horizontally. The vertical movement is obtained through bell crank lever 43 on a relatively fixed shaft 44, one end of the lever carrying a roller 45 operating in a horizontal guideway 46 in the frame 42 and the other end being operatively connected through a rod 47 with a cam or other suitable mechanism (not shown) adapted to provide the desired reciprocatory motion to the said rod. The horizontal movement of the frame 42 may be obtained through a rod 48 connected to a downward extension on the frame and operatively connected at the other end to a cam or other suitable mechanism for longitudinally reciprocating the rod.

In the present instance, however, each of the movable bars 41 is provided with an extension 36, which projects between the plates or bars 15, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. Each of the extensions 36 has at its extremity a horizontal portion 37 the upper surfaces of which together form a horizontal platform which as the said movable bars are oscillated moves in a path illustrated by broken lines in Fig. 2, which shows the path of movement of one corner of the horizontal portion of each of the said extensions. It will be noted that in this oscillatory movement of the movable bars of the feed mechanism, of which these extensions are a part, the upper surface of the horizontal portion is carried upwardly to a position which in its subsequent reariwnrd n'iovenient just clears the bottoms of the bosses 24, and that after the horizontal por- (ion has moved to a position directly under the tubes 21, it is dropped downwardly between the plates 15 until the upper surfaces of the horizontal portions 37 are below the upper edges of the said plates 15, after which these horizontal portions move outwardly to the starting point.

It will further be noted that each of the extensions 36 has immediately inwardly of the horizontal portion 37 a vertical shoulder 38, and that further the upper surfaces of the plates 15' are either aligned with or above the upper edge of the lirstinclined step 39 of the stepped feed mechanism disclosed in the aforesaid co-pending application. It will be apparent, therefore, that as the. extension is oscillated in the path previously described, the shoulder 38 will act as a pusher to shift any article which may rest upon the tops of the plates 15 onto the said inclined step 39 of the fixed bars of the feed mechanism. 7

Although I have shown the parts 3T88 as a part, in the present instance, of a particular feed mechanism, it is obvious that they may be independently movable ele ments; and any suitable mechanism for giving these parts the required oscillatory movement will answer the purpose of the invention.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: The operator takes between fingers of her two hands a stack of'cakes or other articles, and by means of the V-shaped trough arranges them in alignment. She then passes them into the tubes 21 which constitute the magazines, the stack of cakes being lowered to the bottom of the tubes, as permitted by the slots 23 which provide passage for the fingers. The plates 15, however, have previously been adjusted vertically to a position such that their top edges are spaced from the bottom of the magazine a distance which is a littlegreater than the maximum thickness of the cakes or other articles which have been ,or are to be placed in the magazine. An easily manipulated means for adjusting these plates to the proper position is provided by means ofthe aforedescribed'gagc plates 30, 30. lower of the gage plates 30, and the shaft rotated by means of the hand wheel 9 until the blocks 13, 13, have been elevated sufliciently to bring the top of the cake close to the upper one of these plates. Since the space between the opposite surfaces of these plates is identical with the space between the bottom of the mechanism and the upper edges of the plates 15, an accurate adpistment is obtained.

\Vhen, therefore, the cakes have been placed in the tubes,thelower one of each of the-stacks of articles will rest upon the tops of the plates 15. During this filling operation, the feed mechanism may be in operation, and as the movable plates of the feed mechanism are oscillated, the shoulder 88 ,of the extension 36 and the horizontal portion 37 operate respectively to push each of the bottom cakes of the respective stacks resting upon the tops of the bars 15 onto the inclined step39, and to receive the s icceeding cake of each stack and to lower it QlltO the top of the bars 15 i1i the place just vacated by the cake previously forced off by the shoulder 38. Each of the plates 15 is provided at its outer edge with a shoulder 10 which prevents the possibility of a cake after being deposited upon the plates from moving rearwardly with the extension 36.

'In the meantime, the cakes which have been deposited upon the inclined step 39 have been advanced along the successive steps of the conveyer in a manner clearly set forth and illustrated in my aforesaid co-pending application. It will be apparent that the cakes or other articles in passing from the stepped conveyer mechanism are in each step carefully moved from one point to the next and that the cakes pass in an absolutely horizontal position from the bottoms of the tubes 21 onto the horizontal portion of the extensions 36, are by them carefully deposited upon the plates 15, and are from that position pushed by the shoulder 38 with the next succeeding oscillation of the movable bars onto the first inclined step of the stepped A cake is placed upon the conveyer, from which it is passed successively through the other steps of the conveyeito the coating mechanism.

It will also be noted that, by reason of the fact that the operator may deposit in the magazines a large number of cakes in one movement, the machine may be run at a substantially higher rate of speed than was possible when the cakes were fed to the stepped conveyer individually by hand, and that further the placement of the cakes upon the conveyer is done both more accurately and with less liability of damage. It is to be understood that use of the device is not limited to mechanism with which for sake of illustration I have herein shown the device associated, and that it'inay find a variety of useful applications other than that set forth.

1. The combination with a magazine having a discharge opening, of a support spaced below said opening to which articles are adapted to pass in succession from the magazine, and a movable member adapted both to dislodge the articles from the support and to receive and lower to the supporteach succeeding article from the magazine.

2. The combination with a magazine having discharge opening, of a support comprising spaced elements mounted below said opening and adapted to receive articles pass- I ing in succession from the magazine, and members movable in the spaces between said support elements and adapted to receive articles and successively lower them from the magazine onto the support. 1

The combinationwith a magazine havmg a discharge opening, of a support comprising spaced elements mounted below said opening and adapted to receive articles passmg in succession from the magazine, and members movable in the'spaces between said support element and adapted both to dislodge the articles from the support and to receive and lower to the support succeeding articles from the magazine.

1. The combination with a magazine havmg a discharge opening, of a support spaced below said opening to which articles are adapted to pass in succession from the maging a discharge opening, of a support spaced below said opening to which articles are adapted to pass in succession from the magazine, a member comprising a shoulder adapted to engage articles on the support and move them from under the magazine, and a substantially horizontal portion adapted to receive and lower an article from the magazine to replace the article dislodged by said shoulder.

7. The combination with a magazine having a discharge opening, of a support spaced below said opening to which articles are adapted to pass in succession from the magazine, movable means for dislodging the articles from the support and for depositing thereon succeeding articles from the magazine, and means for adjusting the support with respect to the discharge opening of the magazine.

8. The combination with a magazine having a discharge opening, of a support com-- prising spaced elements mounted below said opening and adapted to lGCGlYQ articles passing in succession from the magazine, a movable member in each space between the support elements and having parts adapted to engage and to dislodge an article resting on the support from beneath the magazine, and another part adapted to rece ve the succeed-ing article from the magazine and to lower it onto the support in place of the dislodged article.

9. The combination with a magazine having a discharge opening, of a support comprising spaced elements mounted below said opening, a member adapted to occupy the space between said elements, and mechanism for giving said member aunovement in a curved path adapted to bring the member into a position under the discharge opening to receive an article from the magazine and thereafter to loweri-t onto the said support.

10. The combination with a magazine h aving a discharge opening, of a support comprising spaced elements mounted below said opening, a. member adapted to occupy the space between the said elements, and mechanism for moving said member in an oscillatory path in one direction above the tops of said support elements and in the opposite dir ction below said tops.

11. The combinationwith a frame,-of a magazine mounted in said frame, a support mounted in said frame below the magazine,-

means for adjusting said support vertically with respect to the magazine, and a gage for said adjustment comprising an element fixed to the frame and a second element secured to the said support. v i

12. The combination with a frame, of a magazine mounted in the frame, vertical guides n said frame, asupport movable in the guidesand occupying a position below the magazine, mechanism for elevating the support in the guides, and. a. spring tending to maintain the guides in a depressed position.

13.- The combination magazine mounted in the frame, vertical guidesin the frame, a member movable in the guidesand occupying a position below the magazine a horizontal guide, a block movable on said guide and adapted to support the said member, and the block havin corresponding and contacting beveled fa'c'es and means for moving the block along the guide to elevate or depress the support structure.

The combination with a frame comprising a pair of side plates, a magazine supported at the top of the frame, a movable structure comprising side bloc-ks connected by transverse bars mounted in the frame below the magazine, vertical guides for the structure on said side plates, and adjustable means mounted in the frame for controllin the position of the structure with respect tb the bottomof the magazine.

15. The combin'ationwith a frame, of a magazine carried by the frame, guides in the frame, a support movable in the guides and adjustable vertically with respect to the bottom of the magazine, a horizontal guide, a block mounted on the guide and forming a mounting for the support, said support and lock having correspondingly beveled faces contacting with each other, a' threaded shaft mounted in the frame and having threaded engagement with the block, and means for eltecting rotation of the shaft to advance the block horizontally to thereby adjust the position of the support below the magazine.

16. The combination with a conveyor comprising a set of fixed bars and a set of bars movable between the fixed bars and adapted to feed articles along the latter in successive steps, of a magazine, a support below the magazine, and means on said movable bars for transferring articles from the support to the fixed bars of said conveyor and for receiving and lowering articles from the magazine onto said support.

VILLIAM COSTELLO, JR.

with a frame, of a 

